Illuminate

Two more short-story collection recommendations:

"Sightseeing" by Rattawut Lapcharoensap. The title story of this debut collection gives us a son taking his soon-to-be-blind mother on a trip to see an island she's never seen before; in Farangs, a young boy who has lost in the game of love watches his pet pig slip in the ocean to escape a group of bullies; in Draft Day, a boy engages in the politics of draft day to possibly lose the closest friend he has; in Priscilla the Cambodian, a boy befriends a refugee with gold teeth while the elders in the town try to run all the refugees off; in the end novella, a father nearly loses everything as he tries to battle against the town bully.

My favorite of the group is Don't Let Me Die in This Place. An older man has a stroke and
ends up living with his son and daughter-in-law in Thailand. Not only does he have to endure being treated like a baby, but he's brought around to see the sights and the endless temples in which he has no interest. The story shines when he is taken to an amusement park and he asks to drive one of the bumper cars. Hilarious.

Another excellent collection I just finished is "This is a Voice From Your Past," by Merrill Joan Gerber. Thirteen stories, some connected, some not, all about women dealing with small and large issues: suicide, death, fear, annoying neighbors, relationships that don't quite work, and nasty in-laws. Wonderful, rich characters and surprising details make this collection stand out.